Merry Christmas, Carson City. Most people knew Wal-Mart was coming, but the confirmation has to be comforting to city leaders, who've been pinching pennies since the old Wal-Mart left.
On Thursday, supervisors learned their cost-cutting measures came away with a $1.4 million surplus.
Wal-Mart's departure for Douglas County led supervisors to impose a budget freeze.
They were right to do so.
The year since Wal-Mart left has seen a 3.2 percent decrease in the city's revenues.
Compare that with the 8 percent increase Carson had the year before that.
The decrease was bad, but not as bad as city budget experts anticipated, thanks to gasoline and automobile sales.
Now with a Wal-Mart in the works for northern Carson City near College Parkway and Hot Springs Road it appears the city is on the road to recovery and that road has a name - the Carson City freeway.
As the freeway snakes its way around Carson, a band of retail will rise up along its route.
Just as Indian Hills has sprouted commercial along the main thoroughfare between Carson City and Douglas County, the freeway will bring new retail and prosperity to Carson City.
Carson City's austerity measures put it in an excellent position to take advantage of these new sources of revenue.
There is nothing like surviving hard times to prepare for thriving in good times.
